APA Services joined a broad coalition of disability, civil rights, and education organizations in opposing recent actions by the U.S. Department of Education that would transfer core functions of its workopens in new window related to students with disabilities and civil rights enforcement to other agencies. As part of broader efforts to dismantle the department, interagency agreements are being used to move the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Office for Civil Rights to the U.S. Department of Justice. These changes could disrupt federal oversight of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (idea), Section 504 protections, vocational rehabilitation programs, and civil rights enforcement for all students, including those with disabilities.
The letter underscores that students with disabilities need coordinated, education-centered systems that protect access to services, inclusive learning opportunities, and pathways to postsecondary education and employment. It urges Congress to reject the transfers and preserve the Department of Education’s central role in administering special education, enforcing education-related civil rights protections, and ensuring that students with disabilities receive the supports and safeguards Congress intended.
APA Services has long advocated for students with disabilities, including for full funding for IDEAopens in new window, and has opposed the administration’s efforts to dismantle the Department of Education.
For more information, email Kenneth Polishchuk.